Bathurst War
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |combatant2 = Wiradjuri |commander1 = Governor Thomas Brisbane Major Morisset |commander2 = Windradyne |strength1 = 75 British soldiers Several Cavalry 200+ Armed settlers |strength2 = 11,500 |casualties1 = 7+ Killed Many wounded |casualties2 = Estimated +1000 killed }} The Bathurst War (1824), was a war between the Wiradjuri nation and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Following the successful Blaxland, Lawson, and Wentworth expedition to find a route through the "impenetrable" Blue Mountains in 1813, this allowed the colony to expand onto the vast fertile plains of the west. Settlement of the new land was initially slow, but following a change of government, Governor Thomas Brisbane came to power allowing a flood of land grants to the west of the Blue Mountains. The enormous influx of British colonists put massive strain on the traditional food sources and sacred landmarks of the Wiradjuri. By early 1824, war had broken out in which the Wiradjuri adopted a guerilla-style approach, after Governor Thomas Brisbane declared martial law the resistance soon collapsed in late 1824. Background Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson Attempts to cross the Blue Mountains had been made from 1790 onwards with convicts seeking a way to escape and adventurers eager to explore the region. However, all of these attempts failed and it was to be over 20 years before a way across was found. In May 1813, Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth set out with a plan to find a passage through the impenetrable Blue Mountains. After 21 days of traveling through of rugged terrain, the party reached Mount Blaxland. From here they saw a vast expanse of forest and grass in which Blaxland wrote was rich enough "to support the stock of the colony for the next thirty years". This was in fact the land of the Wiradjuri people, one of the largest language groups in Australia. The Wiradjuri inhabited an area bounded by the Blue Mountains in the east, the western slopes in the south, and the change of open forest to grassy plains in the north and west. The tribes lead by Windradyne lived in the eastern parts of this territory, connected to the other groups by a common language as well as cultural and trade links.P. Read, A Hundred Years War, Canberra: ANU, 1988, p.2 Governor Lachlan Macquarie After passage through the Blue Mountains had been secured, assistant surveyor George Evans and his party had been instructed to further explore the country. Evans' reports confirmed of excellent pastures beyond the mountains to which Governor Macquarie ordered a road be built from the Nepean River. In less than six months the road had been completed. Soon after Governor Lachlan Macquarie and a large accompanying party set out to view the country. The journey took nine days by coach from Parramatta and on arrival Macquarie's welcoming ceremony was observed by seven Wiradjuri.Assistant Surveyor George Evans, Journal, 21/12/1813 Macquarie wrote: Three days later Macquarie inaugurated the town of Bathurst, then continued to tour the surrounding country. In his journal, Macquarie writes of being visited by three male natives and that "to the best looking and stoutest of them I gave a piece of yellow cloth in exchange for his mantle, which he presented me with".Macquarie, Journal of Tours in NSW and Van Diemen's Land, 1810–, entry of 10/5/1815 It has been theorised that this unknown Wiradjuri man may have been Windradyne, but this cannot be proven. Nevertheless, it would be another eight years before he would become famous to the colony. In 1820, the population of Bathurst was only 114 due to Macquarie's slow and cautious approach to new settlement. His experience of the Hawkesbury and Nepean Wars of 1795–1816 may also have made him hesitant to start a new conflict. It seems that the Wiradjuri were willing to tolerate this slow level of growth and peaceful relations were maintained during this period. Governor Thomas Brisbane In December 1821, Macquarie resigned partly due to undermining forces within his own government. His replacement was Governor Thomas Brisbane who had different views through which he began asserting his authority. Under Brisbane's hand settlement laws were changed leading to a flood of land grants across the Blue Mountains. An enormous influx of the British onto the Wiradjuri lands put great strain on traditional food sources, and destroyed some of the Wiradjuri social and sacred sites. In response, the Wiradjuri resistance was born, well aware that they had no chance against guns, they adopted a guerilla-warfare approach in which attacks were made against outlying and undefended stations. Pre-war violence Following Governor Brisbane's decision to open the flood gates to the west of the Blue Mountains, various attacks were soon made against the growing settlement. In 1822, Wiradjuri warriors attacked a station on the Cudgegong River in which they drove away the stockman, let the cattle out of the yard and killed several of the sheep.J.P.M. Long, Bathurst, 1813–40 quoted in Salisbury and Gresser, op cit, p.19 More attacks followed with the murder of convict hut-keepers, scattered herds and speared cattle. Stockmen were intimidated and would not leave their huts to round up the cattle and bring them in without protection. The government centre at Swallow Creek was soon abandoned in fear of attack. In late 1823, Windradyne (known as Saturday by the British) was captured for the first time. The Sydney Gazette described the situation in the following: Course of the war Potato Field Incident In early 1824, on the river flats opposite of the town of Bathurst, a farmer in a friendly gesture offered a group of passing natives some potatoes. The next day the families returned to the field, however, with no concept of private ownership of food supplies they began helping themselves. The farmer then fired upon the group and in the mayhem several natives were killed and some wounded. One of the survivors of this misunderstanding was Windradyne, enraged at the attack he and his warriors immediately began a series of violent attacks against nearby stations.Salisbury and Gresser, op cit, p.22 One settler account describes an encounter that took place soon after the Potato Field Incident: Revenge attacks Similar attacks occurred at nearby stations "The Mill" and "Warren Gunyah". These attacks included men being speared, weapons stolen, buildings burned and stock killed. While Windradyne and his warriors engaged the area north-east of Bathurst, to the south relative tribes also attacked, terrorising settlers and driving off cattle. Revenge parties were formed in which a group of armed servants attacked and killed three Wiradjuri women. For several months the attacks by the Wiradjuri continued, they struck at unexpected locations then retreated back to the bush. By August 1824, the Sydney Gazette described it as "to have exposed the strength and wealth of the Colony... to destruction".Sydney Gazette, 5/8/1824 Proclamation of martial law On August 14, Governor Brisbane issued a proclamation of martial law. Governor Brisbane's declaration read: }} A detachment of the 40th Regiment was rushed to Bathurst, bringing the total number of soldiers to 75. Together with an armed militia of settlers they began murdering the native population. Despite martial law being declared it seemed to have had little impact on the activities of the Wiradjuri. According to W.H. Suttor, "The proclamation of martial law was as undecipherable to the natives as an Egyptian hieroglyph".W.H. Suttor, Australian Stories Retold and Sketches of Country Life, Bathurst The natives continued with their attacks against the British, and skirmishes followed by massacres of warriors attempting to bury their dead. However, the majority of victims were native women and children gunned down from horseback, poisoned or driven into gorges. In October, the Sydney Gazette summed up the situation stating that "Bathurst and its surrounding vicinity is engaged in an exterminating war".Sydney Gazette 11/8/1824 Battle of Bathurst The Battle of Bathurst began on 10 September when a Wiradjuri war party attacked a station on the Cudgegong River, they drove off the cattle before being pursued by the station hands.Six Australian Battlefields, by Al Grassby and Marj Hill In an ambush, the stationhands were chased back and in the retreat three Wiradjuri warriors were shot. The following day the station hands returned to find the war parties' camp deserted as they were burying their dead, however most of the weapons were left in the camp and were subsequently destroyed. As the Wiradjuri returned to the war camp, the station hands fired on them killing at least sixteen and wounding many more. Peace At the outset of martial law, Windradyne's people had been informed that military operations against them would continue until their leaders were given up. Windradyne himself had a reward of 500 acres of land. By late 1824, large numbers of Wiradjuri were surrendering themselves to the government however, Windradyne continued to elude the soldiers and as such martial law remained in place for a further seven weeks. On 11 December 1824, martial law was finally repealed, and on 28 December Windradyne appeared at the head of his people in Parramatta to attend the Governor's annual feast. He wore the word "peace" on his hat and knew the soldiers could not arrest him because of the possibility of a riot with so many Aborigines there. The Sydney Gazette described Windradyne as: References Category:Wars involving the United Kingdom Category:Resistance to the British Empire Category:History of Indigenous Australians Category:History of Australia (1788–1850) Category:Military history of Australia